Oasis Agri Prescription Blended Trace Elements Nutrients and Functions – Part 8: Silica

SILICA (SiO4)

Functions in Plants and Soil:

• Physical Defense:

Silica integrates with cellulose and lignin in cell walls, making them more rigid and resilient against physical damage. It forms deposits on the surface of leaves and stems, creating a rougher texture that makes it difficult for insects to chew through or grip onto the plant.

• Stress Tolerance:

Silica helps protect plants from oxidative stress by activating defense mechanisms and enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. It can also activate a plant’s own natural defense systems against pathogens and triggers defense responses.

Silica assists with heat and drought tolerance. By reflecting sunlight, silica helps reduce a plant’s absorption of heat, protecting it from excessive temperatures. Under drought stress, silica can help plants reduce water loss by closing stomata and forming a barrier that regulates water evaporation.

In saline conditions, silica helps improve the uptake of potassium while limiting the uptake of sodium and chloride.

• Structural Strength:

It can also activate a plant’s own natural defense systems against pathogens. This increased strength makes plants more resistant to lodging, pests, and fungal infections.

• Growth and Nutrient Regulation:

By improving overall plant health and water efficiency, silica can boost photosynthesis, which helps increase biomass. Silica can improve a plant’s ability to take up other essential nutrients and can increase its overall biomass.

• Assists with Heavy Metal Toxicity:

It helps plants by sequestering and immobilizing toxic heavy metals in their tissues.

Deficiency Symptoms in Plants:

Note: Deficiency symptoms can present differently depending on the crop species

Silica deficiency is not as clear as other nutrient deficiencies, typically symptoms are more related to crop growth and development. Symptoms are not usually noticeable, but when silica is applied at adequate quantities there is a noticeable difference in the crop.

 

Oasis Agri formulates prescription blends of essential trace elements, based on soil and leaf analysis results. These blends are available in both granular form and as water-soluble powders, providing a unique solution to addressing trace element deficiency in soils.

Contact info@oasis-agri.com for more information.